of Lucy and Aslan,of Frodo and Sambecause my sonwhen you face the dragon—

and yes, my beloved,you will face him indeed—I hope you rememberthe stories of courage

of bravery in battleof comrades and queensof the triumph of goodat the end of the day.

The king is with you. He is Spirit and sword,Excalibur shapingin the palm of your hand

and I’m with you, too,to wear the ring or empty a vialor hold on to your hand

I know the enemyis fierce and strongbut his end is already written, and you’re not the only one afraid.

Laura Kauffman

Laura Kauffman, MA is the author of Carolina Clay: A Collection of Poems on Love and Loss. She writes from the Loess Hills of Iowa, where she lives with her three sons, four pets, 15 chickens, and one husband, Chris. You can follow her on Twitter @laura_kauff.

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